Scoring Goals

The secret of Scoring in Sensible Soccer 2006 is to be very accurate as to where you are aiming before you kick the ball at the net. It is common for people used to playing more forgiving football games recently to expect the computer to help the ball into the net for you, but in this game it is down to the player pointing the player's arrow in the right direction and getting the timing, power and Aftertouch of the shot just right. There are many ways to score goals in the game, so here are a few to get you started:-

The Near Post Tap In

The Far Post Slide

Get a man to the edge of the penalty area and pass the ball across the goal towards where another one of your players running in, then as the ball passes in front of him press the kick button to slide him towards the ball and push it into the back of the net.

The Open Play Header/Volley

Run a man down the wing and cut him in field so that he is pointing at about 45 degrees into the pitch, then play a lofted cross across the pitch and curl it hard in field so that by the time it reaches the goal area it is travelling across the face of the go al. Whilst the cross is in the air run another of your players into the penalty area and press the kick button to hurl him towards the ball and make him head or volley it into the old onion bag.

The Long Shot

Not as easy as some of the older versions of Sensible Soccer, but it is still possible against the weaker goalkeepers to launch a very long high shot from just past the centre circle and manage to dip it and curl it just under the bar and into the net.

The Corner

Easiest way to score directly from a corner is to aim the ball at about 30 degrees away from the goal line and then add a bit of loft by pulling back on the stick at the same time as you curl the ball into the penalty area, this is all done by feel alone. Then whilst the ball is in the air wit until it is near one of your men in the box and aim towards the net and press the kick button, then watch your man throw himself at the ball and hopefully head it straight into the ba ck of the net.

The Dangerous Freekick

The secret of scoring from freekicks is to hit the ball softly enough that you can get it over the wall and dip it back down again before it goes over the cross bar. Practise makes perfect with this skill and dipping is one of the most difficult skills in the game, remember to push the stick forwards to dip the ball the moment you have pulled back to loft it, try adding a bit of curl too to really trick the goalkeeper.

Ball Control & Aftertouch

The secret to becoming a top grade Sensible Soccer player is to learn how to master the art of Aftertouch. What should be remembered is that Aftertouch is analogue and it is all about feel. Also it should be remembered that it is used throughout the game for clearing the ball, crossing and playing through balls, as well as for shooting.

Curling the Ball

Get the feel for how much curl you get for different lengths of how long you push the stick to the side directly after kicking, sometimes you will want maximum curl but at other times you will only want very little curl to get the ball exactly where you want it.

Clearing the Ball

The Ball over the Top

A more sophisticated approach to clearing the ball is to play a powered lofted clearance and then to dip it by pushing forward again very quickly after lofting it, almost in a very fast rocking motion. If this is played from the midfield and is aimed and timed right it will cause the ball to drop just in front of your strikers and allow them to run onto the ball and maybe create a chance on goal.

The Through Ball

An effective way to produce a through ball is to kick the ball and deliberately curl it into the path of another one of your players, if played right this is a very effective way to cut through the oppositions defences.

The Chip

This is my personal favourite, but it is very hard to pull off and is almost impossible when sprinting. It involves letting go of the left stick entirely just after the point when the kick button is pressed, this causes the player in possession to kick the ball very softly up into the air, so that it soon comes back down again. It is perfect for chipping the keeper from the edge of the box if he is off his line and if you pull this off in two player it makes your opponent look like a complete idiot.

The Glancing Shot or Header

One skill that only more experienced and sophisticated players tend to use is to deflect the ball at an acute angle as they are jumping to head the ball or sliding to kick it. This is done by redirecting the left stick just after the kick button is pressed and as the animation of the player going for the ball is being played. With practise this skill will make you much more deadly in front of goal and better at keeping possession when the ball breaks loose too.

Defence & Winning the ball

The Sliding Tackle

You have to be careful with sliding tackles in this game. Quite simply a sliding tackle from behind will nearly always result in a freekick and very often in a card too. It is best to slide tackle players face on as you are very unlikely to get penalised then. The slide tackle is not quite as long as on the original Sensible Soccer and you have to make sure that you time it right or else your player will miss the tackle entirely and the opposition will be through on goal

The Running Tackle

You will be more likely to dispossess t he opposition by running into him if you approach him head on, if you approach him from the side he will often hold you off, particularly if he is stronger than you.

Closing down a man

Remember the selection process is automatic, just push the man you want towards the ball and the AI should automatically select him as your next current man. To close a man down quickly you should use the sprint button. Remember sprint is much more effective for defenders as it does not effect their ability to kick the ball like it does for attackers

Moving the Goalkeeper

The right stick moves the goalkeeper to come out or go back and to cover his left or right post. Goalkeeper movement is particularly useful for bringing the goalkeeper out when one on one with an opposition striker, just watch out for the chip. If the goalkeeper is moved left or right it will help him to save shots played that side of him, but will put him at a disadvantage for shots play ed the other side, this is particularly relevant during penalties. The goalkeepers party piece is moving the walls at dangerous freekicks, they automatically cover the vulnerable side of the goal as the keeper moves from side to side between the posts.

Keeping the Ball

The Sliding Recovery

The key element to winning a game of Sensible Soccer is the ability to dominate the battle for the loose ball. If you see a ball running harmlessly out of play don't give up on it but chase it down and slide one of you players at it, then whilst he is sliding redirect the stick so that when he gets to the ball he will kick it into the path of one of his team mates. Learning the length and timing of these slides is one of the best things you can achieve if you want to win at this game.

Running Clear

The only easy way to keep the ball once you have it is to sprint as fast as you can away from the opposition, but you must always be careful tha t by pressing the sprint button you do not inadvertently run the ball out of play or make it impossible for you to get a shot away as the ball runs away from your feet more whilst you are sprinting. The most effective way to use sprint seems to be to use a lot of short bursts in a mazy run as the player changes direction frequently and picks his way through the oppositions back line.

Passing

The passing in Sensible Soccer 2006 is like lightning. The key to it is to learn to be accurate with where you are aiming the arrow before you press the pass button. Although players with greater passing skill have a wider margin for error the player will still need to concentrate in order to play a decent pass. Passing is at it's best when several are strung together in quick succession as the opposition defence is hot to bits. It is also worth noting that a pass receiver will naturally play a first time shot when he gets the ball if the kick button is pressed before he receives it

Tactics

Avoiding the Offside Trap

With the introduction of the offside law into Sensible Soccer, special care has to be taken by attacking teams not to overload their attack against a defence of lesser numbers. A 4 man attack line against a 3 man defence will usually incur many offsides and it is up to the attacking player to acknowledge this and to change his formation accordingly or suffer the frequent sight of the flag being raised against his players.

Using Sprint & Substitutes

Each player has his own individual sprint energy and when it has run out it is not easy to get back again. This requires the player to use sprint energy as a valuable commodity. Do not waste sprint energy chasing a totally lost ball or that player could soon become extreme ly one paced. Having no sprint energy left is one of the main reasons that a player might be substituted within a game. Also using a substitute striker with full sprint energy against a defence with little or no sprint energy left can be very effective and dangerous.

Picking a formation to suit your squad

Each squad in Sensible Soccer only has 16 men so often there are certain formations that are much more natural for some squads to play depending on the spread of players in their squad. When picking a Custom Team type players should bear in mind the formations that they prefer to play before they choose the Custom Team type that they want the team to be based on.

Learn the different player types

There are 21 different player types in Sensible Soccer 2006 and they do make a difference from each other. Take the time to read the manual and learn the strengths of each of the different player types. For example, if you like to cross the bal l in a lot then a target man in the centre will be a lot better at heading the ball in the back of the net than a poacher will.